One wheel, no handles: Is the Solowheel at CES better than a bike?

A rep at CES demonstrates the Solowheel, an electric people mover with gyro-sensors to help riders maintain their balance.

A rep at CES demonstrates the Solowheel, an electric people mover with gyro-sensors to help riders maintain their balance.

Andrea Chang

LAS VEGAS -- We've seen a lot of random stuff at CES, but one of the things that made me do a double take as I roamed the massive show floor was the Solowheel, an "auto balance one-wheel vehicle."

Really, it looked more like a tiny unicycle without handles, and I was baffled as to how Solowheel reps were zooming around their booth in circles like human hamsters. The small wheel didn't even have pedals per se -- just two silver foot rests -- and riders appeared to not be exerting any effort.

Shane Chen, president of Solowheel maker Inventist, said the electric Solowheel, which reaches a max speed of 10 mph, takes about half an hour to learn. The 26-pound wheel can travel up to 10 miles before needing to be plugged into a wall outlet. A full charge takes an hour.

The company says the Solowheel is the smallest, greenest, most convenient "people mover" ever invented. This gyro-stabilized electric device is compact and has gyro-sensors to help riders maintain their balance. Users steer with their feet and control their speed by leaning. Lean forward to speed up, and backward to slow down or stop.